We know that the center of God's will is the best place to be, but surrender is easier said than done. A host of hurdles, from busyness and bitterness to complacency and control, can prevent us from moving where He directs. In this challenging yet warmhearted book, Vivian Mabuni provides an authentic look at what it means to willingly risk saying yes to whatever God asks--and highlights a practical path to the deeper joy of a yielded life.
FOREWORD FROM JENNIE ALLEN
JENNIE ALLEN
Founder and visionary, IF:Gathering
The subject of surrender is familiar to me. Sometimes I think it may be the only thing that I’ve gotten right in life. I’ve committed myself to say yes to God’s leading, and He’s moved in incredible ways. So many times I’ve said yes when it didn’t make sense, and only years later did His plan become clear to me. Over and over He’s used my yes to build amazing stories like IF:Gathering, which is where I got to meet Vivian.
Vivian is a yes kind of girl too, which is why her life is full of miracles, both in her family and in the lives of the many who count her as a spiritual mother. She even walked with open hands through the intense suffering of cancer. She says yes when she can’t see the path ahead, and God shows up, every time.
In college I was discipled by a ministry called CRU, and in many ways I can thank the leaders of that organization for my yes kind of faith. I’m grateful for how they taught me to love discipleship and live it as the primary goal of my life.
CRU is also where Vivian has spent her life saying yes. Every time I see her vibrant smile, I also see a string of younger women whose lives she’s pouring herself into. And isn’t that one of the best reasons to say yes? To invest ourselves in the lives of a few people who will love God more because we were here? That’s something Vivian has mastered and cares about deeply.
Our choice to say yes is rarely easy, but it’s our sacrifice that gives meaning to our surrender. Most of my yeses have cost me in different ways, but all of them have been worth it. From adoption, to casseroles carried across the street for the neighbor who just moved in, to teaching the Bible to one or a thousand, to having the hard conversation, to each unseen yes of everyday life. It’s worth it. All of it is worth it. When we get to heaven, we’ll celebrate every yes that we said and the ways God moved to use our short lives for His eternal purposes.
We have much to learn from Vivian through the pages of this book. And one day when we all get to heaven, I’ll be right there to hug and thank this beautiful woman for her willingness to say yes to running this race beside me and to giving God away in ways that have shaped eternity.